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On May 18, the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) announced that the Power & Communications Contractors Association (PCCA) has won the 2019 CGA President's Award.

"The members of PCCA have embraced the philosophy that damage prevention is a shared responsibility," CGA President & CEO Sarah Magruder Lyle said. "This group has come to the table ready to work and find solutions to the damage prevention challenges that we face. PCCA’s leadership has been clear: they want to be part of the solution."

The latest edition of the PCCA Journal is in the mail but you can avoid the wait by reading it online.

This issue is filled with useful information about managing your business in the wake of COVID-19. We also celebrate 75 years with some big wins and look at PCCA's alliance with WIA to boost workforce programs, and more...

Take it with you.

The PCCA Journal is portable and optimized for reading on your phone or tablet.

Ogletree Deakins, who has provided invaluable information for pccaweb.org throughout the pandemic, has prepared a detailed Return to Work Guide that will help you develop plans to return employees to work and/or the workplace.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued interim guidance to advise compliance safety and health officers to evaluate an employer’s good faith efforts to comply with safety and health standards during the coronavirus pandemic.

Current infection control practices may limit the availability of employees, consultants, or contractors who normally provide training, auditing, equipment inspections, testing, and other essential safety and industrial hygiene services. Business closures and other restrictions may also preclude employee participation in training if trainers are unavailable and access to medical testing facilities may be limited or suspended.

The following information was sent to PCCA by Greg Guidry, of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. Guidry spoke at PCCA's 2019 Mid-Year Meeting and is a regular contributor to the PCCA Journal.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing a financial reprieve to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last week, PCCA provided information on the CARES Act and the nearly $350 billion it allocated to support emergency loans to qualifying businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program. The Act also includes $17 billion to subsidize existing small business loans.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the Version 2.0 (attached) of its Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce advisory list on March 28 to help state/local entities protect their communities while ensuring continuity of functions critical to public health and safety as well as economic and national security. PCCA submitted comments on a previous version of this guidance last week. CISA noted that the list should not be considered a federal directive or standard but is intended to be the exclusive list of critical infrastructure sectors, workers, and functions. It “identifies workers involved in the construction and services that are typically essential to the viability of maintaining and repairing critical infrastructure, including preforming the construction who support crucial supply chains and enable functions for critical infrastructure.”

Today [March 27], President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the $2 trillion stimulus package that is the third phase of the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Importantly for PCCA members, the bill authorizes emergency loans to distressed businesses.

With respect to small businesses, the CARES Act

* Establishes, and provides funding for, forgivable bridge loans; and

* Provides additional funding for grants and technical assistance.

The Act also provides funding for $1,200 tax rebates to individuals, with additional $500 payments per qualifying child. The rebate begins phasing out when incomes exceed $75,000 (or $150,000 for joint filers).

The CARES Act, through the Paycheck Protection Program, allocates almost $350 billion to support emergency loans to qualifying businesses.